About Richmond

Virginia Commonwealth University has a great location. With easy access to Interstates 95 and 64, Washington, D.C., Virginia's beaches and the Shenandoah Mountains are only an hour and a half away. Richmond is a city deep in history, with terrific neighborhoods, museums and festivals year round. And you can't beat the weather!

Richmond, which is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has a metropolitan population of nearly one million residents. The city is too big to be called a "college town," but there are seven colleges and universities in the area, so the community is very student-friendly. In addition to Richmond, you'll find the following schools in the greater metro Richmond area:

University of Richmond

Virginia State University

Virginia Union University

Randolph-Macon College

J. Sargent Reynolds Community College

John Tyler Community College

Shockoe Slip, Shockoe Bottom and the Fan–great historic neighborhoods with ethnic restaurants on almost every corner. When MHA students have free time, they often head out to some of the following places:

Carytown offers great non-traditional shopping, people watching, and the Byrd.

The Byrd Theatre has $2 movies with the best concessions in town, homemade cookies and real home-popped popcorn.

Concerts and Festivals on Brown's Island.

Historical landmarks: St. John's Church (where Patrick Henry said "Give me liberty or give me death" to kick start the American Revolution), the John Marshall House, Maggie L. Walker Memorial Shrine, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (and this is just the beginning of a very long list).

The James River offer tubing, kayaking and picnicking.

Byrd & Maymont Parks are among the most inviting parks in the region that include a Nature Center and small zoo. They are wonderful places take families!

Monument Avenue is the only street in America listed on the National Register of Historic Places.